1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electro-optical device driven by a so-called field sequential method, to a method of driving the electro-optical device, and to an electronic apparatus.
2. Related Art
In general, as shown in FIG. 7, one vertical scanning period (one frame) for forming one color image is composed of three continuous fields for displaying images of three primary colors including red (R), green (G), and blue (B) by a field sequential method. Further, each field has a scanning period to sequentially select pixel rows and a retrace period after the corresponding scanning period. Furthermore, for a scanning period of an R field, each of pixel rows is sequentially selected so as to write image data of an R component in each pixel, and red light is emitted in a subsequent retrace period. Further, for a scanning period of a G field, each of the pixel rows is sequentially selected so as to write image data of a G component in each pixel, and green light is emitted for a subsequent retrace period. Furthermore, for a scanning period of a B field, each of the pixel rows is sequentially selected so as to write image data of a B component in each pixel, and blue light is emitted for a subsequent retrace period. Thereby, images of primary colors of R, G, and B are sequentially displayed, which overlap each other to be displayed as a full color image. In such a field sequential method, a color filter does not need to be provided in a display element, so that bright display can be performed and each display element does not need to be separated into three segments of RGB, thereby facilitating implementation of high definition.
However, in the field sequential method, a light-emitting time or a luminance of light needs to increase in order to perform brighter display. In order to increase the light-emitting time, the retrace period can be increased. However, when the retrace period increases, a frame period increases (that is, a frame frequency decreases), so that display flicking starts to be visible. Alternatively, when the luminance of the light increases, a light source having high performance is required, which causes cost and consumed power to increase.
Accordingly, there has been suggested a technique of segmenting areas for a plurality of pixel rows and providing a light source for each segmented area and carrying out sequential light irradiation from a segmented area where image data writing has been already completed (for example, see JP-A-2002-221702 (FIG. 2)).
However, according to the above-mentioned technology, since the light source is provided for each segmented area, when a luminance difference between the light sources is generated, a boundary between the segmented areas becomes visible and the light source must be separately controlled for each segmented area. As a result, the control becomes complicated.